The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1887-03-25
Work for wisner
From the Flint Globc.


From the Flint Glob,.
II is the duty of every Republican in the
7th Judicial circuit 10 get at once 10 work
for Mr.. G. ii. Wisner for Circuit Judge
and hold TO it faithfully I'LL the closing of
the polls, on the 4th of April 1t would be
a great mistake fer the Republicans of the
circuit tn allow their candidate to be de-
teated in the face of the conceded mujori-
tics in two of the counties of the circuit,
and the comparatively small Democratic
majority in the third, Livingston county
1t Will not meet the case TO say the judi
ciary ough. to be removed as far as posi-
ble from al political or partisan influence,
and therefore the canvass canine. be carried
on upon pary basis, OF the ordinary party
appliances be made use of. Nothing can
be farther from the truth. When the
people of the State framed and adopted
the constitution, they did not provide
that the judiciary in any OF its branches,
shsald be removed from the people and
put in the hands of the executive, but they
made it elective in its entirety, from a
co'gatry Justice of the Peace to the Justice
of the Supreme Court. 1t is evident that
1t was their deliberate intention to make
the Judiciary come directly from the peo-
Pile, well Knowing as they did, that IN
elective Judiciary must depend for its eX-
istence upon the will of the majority, and
that will must be ascertained by precisely
the same methods as those used to deter
mine that will in the case of the executive
and legislative officers, through the ma
chinery and organization of n party. The
primaiie are called and conducted like the
primaries preliminary 10 county, Legisla
tive, Congressional or State conventions
The conventions themselves are not differ
ent in the manner of their organization or
procedure from other sorts of political
conventions Fifty years ago the people
of the State ordained that the office of
Judge of Circuit Court should be filed
precisely rs any other elective office is
filed. In the several amendments made
and attempted TO be made. in the inter-
vening years, no effort worth mentioning
has eyer'been made TO change this plan.
1t has stood the test of half century and
has daily grown in favor with all good
citizens as the years, with their mutations,
have come and gone, and if the question
of changing the office of yudgc from an
elective to an appointiye one should be
submitted TO the people today, it is doubt
ful IL two per cent of the potcrs would
favor the change.
1t may then he conceded that the Office
is elective in spirit as well as in fact. Its
oOrrollary is also necessarily true, namely,
that che Office is as much party Office as
any other within the gift of the people, at
least so far as the methods of canvassing
and electing are concerned. Thirty years
ago all the Judges OF the Supreme Court,
and a'majority of the Circuit Judges were
Democratic. A few years later a majority
Of the people of the State were Republi.
cans and as fast as the terms of the Demo-
cratic. Judges expired they were succeeded
by Republican Judges, until The entiic
bench was Republican. A little later the
Republican ascendency in the State be-
came less pronounced and the political
character of the Supreme bench changed
with the change in public sentiment and is
now composed of representatives of three
political parties-Republicsn, Democratic
and Greenback. The same is substantial
ly trae in the circuit courts. If there is a
Republican majority IN circuit the rule
Is that Republican Judge sits upon the
bench. If there is Democratic majority
there is Democratic Judge.
These things are mentioned in detail TO
show that the people are fully determined
10 keep the selection of Judges in their
own hands and that they do not object
and never have objected TO the ordinary
political methods in the nomination and
election of Judges. OF course 1t is under.
stood that when man is elected Judge
and enters upon the duties of his Office, he
will conduct the affairs Of the court upon
the principles OF law and equity. without
regard to politics.
Now what is the inference from all this
rs applied to Mr.. Wisner9 Let us refer to
the facts in the case. They ought to be
still fresh in the minds of the people. II
is only week to-day since the representa-.
tives of the people of the circuit assembled
in this city in convention to consider this
matter and put in nomination q candidate
for the Office Of Circuit Judge. They
were fresh from the people whose bidding
they had come here to obey. In this city,
which is the home of Judge Newton, the
present able and efficient Judge. there was
In some quarters, a disposition TO ask tn,
convention to ra.ify the Democratic con.
,,oct,o,, NJ Hou,oll which l,od a f.xxv doy.